paine



(No Model.)

W. J. PAINE. REGULATR POR ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

Patented July 7, 1885.

R I R T NM UNITED STATES.,

WALTER J. PAINE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALFI`*\Y PATENT OFFICE.,

TO SIDNEY B. PAINE, OF SAME PLACE. I

REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,844, dated July 7, 1885.

Application filed January 12, 1885. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VALTER J. PAINE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Regulators for Electric Lights, of which the following is a speciication.

The object I have in view is to provide apparatus for raising and lowering the candle- 1o power of incandescing electric lamps without the use of the bulky resistances heretofore employed, which were located in vthe circuit of all the lamps' whose candle-power was to be varied, and hence had to carry the current for all the lamps. I accomplish the object by arranging the lamps in groups, the lamps of each group being in the same circuit, `and the lamps of the several groups being properly intermingled or located, and throwing 2o these groups into and out of circuit successively, each group before being thrown out of circuit being reduced in candle-power by introducing resistance gradually into its circuit, and being thrown into circuit at low candle 2 5 power by the use of resistance which is gradually reduced to raise the group to full candle-power. A single switch performs this operation, and the saine small resistance is used for all the groups. The switch is also ar- 3o ranged to throw other groups of lamps into and out of circuit at full candle-power. Additional separate switches are used, one for each group, for breaking the circuits of the groups, so that one or more of the groups can at any time be thrown out of circuit and kept out independent of the operation of the regulating-switch.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure l is a top. View of the 4o switch with the handle omitted for clearness, the connection to lamps and resistance being shown in diagram; and Fig. 2 a vertical section of the switch.

The form of switch sh own in drawings is composed of a stationary circular base of insulating material, having a raised periphery forming a ring, A, carrying spring-contact fingers, which bear upon a revolving disk, B, located within ring A, and having contact-plates. 5o The disk B is turned by handle a, and has a stop-arm, b, strikingstops c c on the ring A, which stops limit the movement of the disk, it being turned in one direction to throw the groups of lamps from full candle-power successively into connection with the graduallyincreased resistance and out of circuit, and in the other direction to produce the reverse effect. The disk B has contacts upon two planes, the long fingers shown projecting over the lower plane tothe higher plane, while the short fingers bear upon the lower plane,which is around the periphery of the disk.

O is a segmental metal plate carried by the upper plane of disk B, and having an eXtension, O', on the lower plane of the disk. The segmental plate O may be of any size less than one-half of the disk. It occupies in the switch shown about one-third of the upper surface of disk B on its higher plane, and is suiiiciently large to connect together all the long fingers of the switch. The extension O on lower plane of disk B islarge enough tobridge three of the short fingers. Upon the lower plane of disk B is another bridging-plate, D, which is somewhat longer than O. This last plate bears the relation to the other plates shown in the drawings, and hereinafter set forth in connection with the description of the operation of the switch. The surfaces of the disk-contacts, it will be seen, are in different parallel planes. By this feature I am enabled to make contact much more neatly and reliably than if the contacts were in one plane. Furthermore, dangers of short-circuits are lessened, and the construction of the disk is 8 cheapened.

E F G II I are groups of incandescing electric lamps L, the lamps of eachgroup being shown for clearness as located together.

In practice the lamps of the several groups will be intermingled or otherwise arranged to produce an equal distribution of the light as the groups are thrown into and out of circuit.

K is the dynamo-electric machine or other source of electric energy. One pole is con- 95 nected by conductor l with one side of all the groups. From the opposite side of the groups separate conductors run to spring-lingers on the switch, as will be presently explained, while from the opposite pole of the dynamo a roo conductor, 2, runs to the center of the switch and to plates C C.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that wire 2 iuns to metal post d on the insulating-base of switch. This post has springs c, making contact with disk f on central spindle, g. The spindle having plate C secui'ed thereto, the result is a connection from dynamo to plates C C. The separate wires 3 et from groups E F run directly to long spring-lingers E F', arranged side by side, which iingers have no other coiinect-ions. Vhen these iingers are on plate G, the lamps ol" groups E F are at full candle-power, and these groups are thrown out of and into circuit at full candle-power by the movementof disk B. The separate wires 5 6 7 of groups G II I run to short iingers GIII, located at aconsiderable distance apart, greater than length of plate D, and t-hese short fingers are connected with long lingers H2 I2, on the opposite side of A, by wires 8 9 10. (Shown in dotted lines.)

Located side by'side with lingers G II' I are other short fingers, z' k Z, which are connected toget-her as shown by dotted lines, and with a conductor, 1l, extending to a three-part resistance, R R R2. Following long finger I2 are three short fingers, i' @"3 i, which are connected with the other ends ofthe resistances RR R2. Following long fingers and G2 are other sets of short ingers 7L hfl h and g gt g. The ii rst and third sets of short fingers are connected together in direct order, i being connected with g', i2 with g2, and i with g. The connection with the intermediate set is reversed, z" and g being connected with h, and g2 with li?, and i" and gf with 71,. If more than three parts of resistance are used,there will be more ol' these fingers, andk if more than three sets of these fingers are employed (which would be necessary in a switch where the resistance is thrown into connection with more than three groups of lamps) the connections of alternate sets will be reversed. This arrangement is to prevent a change of conditions when plate C bridges the last iinger of one set and the first of the next set. Outside of the regulatingswitch the separate group-wires have simple circuit making and breaking switches M, for breaking circuit ol one or more groups independent of the regulating-switch. The resistanccs R R may be wire, lamp, or resistances ol" any character, as will be well understood.

The operation ol the parts, assuming that all the circuits are closed at switches M, will be as follows:

XVith the parts in the position shown inthe drawings, the lamps of all the groups are in circuit and at full candle-power. The current passes from Kyma 2, to G, and from thence through F/ F 3 4, groups E, F, and l, back to K; also, from C through G2 I-I2 I" S 9 l0 G Il I 5 (3 7, groups G,I*I,I,and l, back to K. The disk B being turned in the direction of arrow lin Fig. l, plate C will pass from beneath iingers F E', and groups FE will be thrown out ot' circuit in succession af; full candle-power. Vhen C passes 'from I`,plate C will bridge 'i' 'i2 fi, and I) will bridge I" and Z, Dreaching l before C leaves I2. Now lamps ol' group I will be in circuit with the three resistances R It R2,aiid will be reduced somewhatin candle-power. The current for group I will iiow from K, ca 2 C C/ i 2 t It R R2 Il l D I 7, lamps oi' I and 1,baek to Ii. By a t'urther movement the plate C will leave i and 'i2 in succession, cutting out R and It', with the et'- fect of increasing the resistance and grat'lually lowering candle-power of I until C leaves fit, when I will be thrown out of circuit. At this moment plate I) leaves I. This operation is repeated for groups I-I and G, the arm b striking stop c, when the last group, G, is thrown out of circuit. The lamps will then be all out of circuit. By the reverse movement group G will iirst be thrown into circuit at low candle-power in connection with the highest resistance, and the resistaneewill be gradually reduced by throwing in other resistancecireuits in multiple, and the lamps finally connected directly in circuit at tull candle-power. This will be repeated l'or groups II and I in succession, and then E and F will be thrown in at full candle-power.

The throwing the lamps into and out of circuit in groups produces the ell'cct ol" a gradual raising or lowering of the lights, the extent ot' subdivision determining the increase or reduction of light i'or each step.

A single switch for controlling groups of lamps in this manner Iconsider myinvention,

`as distinguished from an arrangement having a separate simple circuit making and breaking switch for each group. The gradual reduction or increase of candle power of each group of lamps through two or more intermediate stages hefore being thrown out of circuit and after being thrown into circuit is a point of importance. I consider the four changes effected by the switch shown as such a gradual increase or reduction ci' candlepower.

My switch is especially adapted for theater lighting, where the production otproper scenic effects requires that the electric lamps should be capable of complete control in candle-power, the same as gas; but the switch may also be used for the lamps of a singleroom or even for those of asingle fixture.

The number of groups controlled by the switch can be made as small or great as desiredtwo or more-or as the particular use may require, and each group may have as many or few lamps as desired-two or more.

The fingers E F for throwing groups of lamps on and oil' at i'ull candle-power may or may not be used.

The method of regulating electric lights hereinbefore described is not claimed, since it will be made the subject ol' another application for patent, Case l).

IOO

IIO

l. In apparatus for lowering and raising the candle-power of incandescing electric lamps, the combination of two or more groups of such lamps, a regulating-switch, with which all of said groups are connected, acting to throw the groups into and out of circuit successively and to vary their candle-power while in circuit, and separate circuit making and breaking switches for the groups, whereby any one or more groups can be removed from the action of the regulating-switch, substantially as set forth. p

2. The combination, with groups of incandescing electric lamps, of a regulating-switch connected with said lamps for throwing the groups into and out of circuit successively, and a resistance introduced by said switch into the circuit of each group on throwing it out of or into circuit,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with groups of incandescing electric lamps, of a regulating-switch connected with said lamps for throwing the groups into and out of circuit successively, a resistance introduced by said switch into the circuit of each group on throwing it out of or into circuit,and other groups of lamps thrown by said switch into and out of circuit at full candle-power, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with groups of incandescing electric lamps, of a switch having a moving contact connected with one pole of the source of supply, the other pole of such source being connected with the lamps, and stationary contacts in such switch separately connected with the groups, said stationary contacts being all bridged by the moving contact to bring all the groups into circuit, and being successively left or met by such moving contact to throw the groups out of or into circuit, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with groups of incandescing electric lamps, of a switch having a moving contact connected with one pole of the source of supply, the other pole ot' such source being connected with the lamps, stationary contacts on such switch separately connected with the groups, said stationary contacts being all bridged by the moving contact to bring all the groups into circuit at full candlepower, and being successively leftl or met by such moving contact to throw the groups out of or into circuit, and other stationary contacts connected with resistances and following the main contacts,for throwing the resistances into and out of circuit with the groups separately, substantially as set forth.

6. In a regulating-switch, the combination of a turning-disk having concentric contacts the surfaces of which are in more than one plane, such planes being parallel, and stationary contacts bearing on the different planes of the disk, substantially as set forth.

7. In a regulatingswitch, the combination of a turning-disk having concentric contacts the surfaces of which are in more than one plane, such planes being parallel, the surrounding stationary ring, and the long and short spring-fingers, substantially as set forth.

8. In a regulating-switch, the combination, with disk B, of plate C on the upper plane of said disk, the extension C thereof on the lower plane of the disk, and the long and short stationary contacts, substantially as set forth.

9. In a regulating-switch, the combination, with disk B, having contacts C, C', and D, of the double sets of lamp-contacts and the resistance-contacts, substantially as set forth.

10. In a regulating-switch, the combination, with the turning-disk carrying bridging-contact G, of the sets of stationary resistance-contacts and connections between, such sets of resistance contacts reversed in order for the alternate sets, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 5th day of January, 1885.

WALTER J. PAINE.

Witnesses:

T. G. GREENE, Jr., E. C. ROWLAND. 

